About Selwyn Mills

Selwyn Mills served an apprenticeship in decorative painting before starting his own business in 1956, which lasted until his retirement in 1992. He worked as a craftsman painter, wrote for the National Paint Journal, served as President of the National Painting Contractor Association in Nassau County, New York, and taught faux painting. While painting professionally, Mills earned his doctorate in psychology and operated a successful private psychotherapy practice.

Dr. Mills practiced psychotherapy in Great Neck N.Y. for twenty-five year, specializing in couples therapy, family reconciliation and Men in Transition groups. His psychotherapy practice overlapped his forty year career as a decorative painting contractor. He painted in the mornings and counseled patients in the afternoon and evenings. His research into the left/right brain phenomenon, and its impact of personality development, led to a unique discovery of why opposites attract. Active in live theater, he wrote and produced a musical comedy called, “Love Torment and Lollipops”. An accomplished photographer, his black and white prints are part of the permanent collection of the Bibliotech Nationale in Paris, France. He currently works at the Sugden Theater in Naples, Florida as director of faux painting. Mills married in 1949 at the age of 19 and has four children and four grandchildren.

About Confessions of a Color-Blind House Painter

“Confessions of a Color-Blind House Painter” (ISBN 1466342013), a collection of autobiographical writingsby Selwyn Mills, offers an account of the author’s life as well as his ruminations on painting, psychotherapy, friendship, romantic love, poetry, prison, philosophy, relationships and cats, among other topics.

Mills split his professional life between two concurrent careers – he worked as a decorative painter in the mornings and led psychotherapy sessions in the afternoon. Although these types of work might appear quite different, Mills describes how each profession deals with depression and renewal. He offers an eclectic collection of musings on various topics, each one weaving personal narrative with opinion and insight. “Confessions of a Color-Blind House Painter” reveals a portrait of a life made up of equal portions of intellectual, creative and emotional elements.

The Interview

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Selwyn. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

Multi-published

Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?

Mainstream, then self-published

Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?

The mainstream route was long and unsatisfying could never talk to anyone about the work. (30 years ago) then I started my own small self- publishing

Company and successfully published a psychological book which took off and still selling

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I held a big signing party.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

Sent our mass mailings, canvass local bookshops, held workshops for social workers and councilors.

Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?

I have more confidence in myself…have taken writing courses; I am more critical of my work.

Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?

How it has lost readership to other media and that the many the mainstream press is no longer the main source of good writers.

Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?

How much control I have over my work and how my ability has grown.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Observe more of the real world, people and atmosphere and express the fine detail that brings the reader into your world.